


Future Rust, Future Dust

by AngelWithAStory



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Childhood Memories, Comfort/Angst, Dolls, Episode 61 spoilers, Light Angst, Pre-Series, Sibling Love, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-07-27 12:01:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7617295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelWithAStory/pseuds/AngelWithAStory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percival looked up from the book his nose was currently wedged in and turned to see who the voice belonged to. The book itself was fairly interesting as it told high tale and basic facts about the different planes of existence. Specifically, the chapter Percy was in the middle of was describing the Feywild.<br/>Cassandra was watching him with wide, innocent eyes. She clutched a toy doll close to her chest, one that had been handed down as a small comfort from her siblings.</p>
<p>Spoilers for episode 61</p>
            </blockquote>





	Future Rust, Future Dust

**Author's Note:**

> In case you missed it: this SPOILS episode 61 (literally the most recent one - as of publication, it finished just under five hours ago)
> 
> .....
> 
> literally the only thing that I took away from that episode was Percy has a dollhouse, and I wanted to write it _so badly_ so I forced myself to even though I am running on 3 hours sleep and I'm going out tonight. 
> 
> Personal headcanon is that in the current campaign, Percy is 23/24 and Cassandra is around 7 years younger than him but this affects the ages in this fic, so it's relevant, I guess
> 
> Title is from Spanish Sahara by Foals because it seems like a very Percival song and because of Life Is Strange, it already tears me apart :/

“Percy, play with me!”

Percival looked up from the book his nose was currently wedged in and turned to see who the voice belonged to. The book itself was fairly interesting as it told high tale and basic facts about the different planes of existence. Specifically, the chapter Percy was in the middle of was describing the Feywild.

Cassandra was watching him with wide, innocent eyes. She clutched a toy doll close to her chest, one that had been handed down as a small comfort from her siblings. It was her favourite Cassandra had acquired in her short lifetime and it was rarely without it.

“Please?” Cassandra added, absently drawing the doll closer to her chest as she began to brace herself for rejection.

But Percy was young, and his heart was still soft. So he carefully bookmarked the page, stood up from his chair and left the book behind.

“What do you want to play?” Percy asked, reaching out towards his sister so she could take his hand and lead him somewhere. Her face lit up as she grasped Percy’s hand, the doll dragging along the floor slightly as she pulled him towards the door.

“Let’s play with the dolls!” Cassandra said, trying with all her might to pull Percy faster. She had a wide smile on her face and she looked over her shoulder at her brother.

But Percy was in a good mood anyway, so he quickened his pace and let Cassandra drag him back to her room. He sat quietly, cross-legged on the floor as Cassandra grabbed armful of dolls and set them out neatly on the carpet underneath them.

Some part in the back of Percy’s mind, he wondered if his other siblings had turned Cassandra away. Or maybe they were all busy, somehow. Or maybe Cassandra sought him out first because she loved the silly voices he would do when manipulating the little dolls in scenarios she spearheaded.

But Percy didn’t mind, ultimately.

Percy would miss those laughter-filled days when he was much older, looking back.

 

A family birthday was important.

Percy knew that.

Cassandra was turning nine in under three months.

Percy also knew that.

Cassandra loved dolls, despite everyone’s insistence that she would grow out of them soon.

Percy had an idea.

The original idea was simple. Making the basic frame, even more so. (Woodwork was _well_ within Percy’s expertise as he began attempting more difficult contraptions and devices.)

It was the details that took Percy weeks.

Of course, he didn’t tell a single soul about his plan. Of course, Percy worked in the privacy of his workshop within Whitestone Castle, the door locked and bolted. Of course, he agonised over every, minute detail.

(He even fashioned little lenses that he could clip onto his glasses to help him with the delicate engravings and paintwork).

The night before Cassandra’s birthday, Percy employed the help of his eldest brother to move the present. Julius helped him without a word of complaint, carrying the framework while Percy followed, clutching a box of all the internal decorations.

“Well, you’ve certainly put a lot of thought into this, Percy.” Julius said, a fond smile on his face as he gently set the gift down in the middle of the Castle’s nursery. Though, since Cassandra was growing older, it had turned into a general playroom. (Julius was also planning to make additions to the room for when the next generation of de Rolos was born: be it his own child, or maybe Vesper’s in a few years.)

“I’ve had a lot of spare time.” Percy admitted, kneeling in front of the gift and gently opening it. He saw Julius do the same beside him out of the corner of his eye, but Percy busied himself with reassembling the interior.

He could sense Julius examining all his handiwork and suddenly felt self-conscious as he arranged everything according to his original plan.

“You really like all this don’t you?” Julius asked, pointing to the framework and little intricate details. “You spend more time in that little workshop than you do anywhere else. It makes you happy.” The last sentence was more of an enquiry than a statement.

“Of course, I enjoy it.” Percy replied, frowning as he very carefully tweaked positionings. “If I didn’t, then I certainly wouldn’t devote this much of my time to it.”

Inexplicably, Julius laughed.

“I suppose so, Percy.” He said, ruffling Percy’s short, brown hair. “Is that why you always sneak a book to Father’s meetings that you observe?”

“Am _forced_ to observe.” Percy corrected, leaning back to see the composition from different angles. “Diplomacy only interests me so much, and it’s not like I’m likely to be the one to take over as head of the family.”

“Well, what if something were to happen to Vesper and I?” Julius asked, genuinely curious for the answer. “How would you protect Whitestone? Or your other brothers and sisters?”

Percy was quiet for a long moment. His hands moved automatically as he made final adjustments. When he was satisfied, only then did Percy close the gift and lock it with a little latch. His fingers trailed along the little embellishments that had kept him up many a late night and woke him early just to have it complete.

“It’s best not to think about that, Julius. You’ll only tempt fate, that way.” Percy said, his voice quiet. “But if - _if_ \- anything like that were to happen, then I would learn. And I would learn quickly. I would not learn Whitestone defenseless.”

“And you would do a wonderful job, Percy.” Julius wrapped his arm around Percy’s shoulder and gently squeezed him. “But for now, we should get some sleep. It’s a big day tomorrow.”

The next morning, Cassandra opened her gifts in the dining room over breakfast. She hadn’t stop smiling the entire time as she opened new dresses and small trinkets and new books and jewellery. Percy sat patiently, his food barely touched as he watched Cassandra’s face light up with each new present.

His fingers had the urge to fidget, but Percy clasped them together tightly. The plates were cleared away and his family began to disperse, preparing for the small gathering that night to celebrate Cassandra’s birthday.

Percy took a small breath and stood up from his chair, walking nonchalantly towards where Cassandra sat, gathering up all her presents.

“Does the Lady of the Hour require some help with her presents?” Percy asked, adjusting his speech to draw a laugh out of Cassandra.

“We have servants for that, Percy, unless you want to join their ranks.” Ludwig said as he passed by, a cheeky smile on his face.

“Ludwig,” Their mother said, a slight warning in her voice. She gently pressed a kiss to Cassandra’s scalp, giving the youngest boy a _Look._ “Ludwig, why don’t you take Cassandra’s presents to her room and then you can help your father set up for this evening.”

Ludwig shot Percy a slightly dirty look when their mother wasn’t looking before doing as he was told. Percy felt a small sense of victory in his chest as he looked back towards his mother and saw her smiling at him.

“You shouldn’t let him talk to you that way, Percival.” His mother said, gently pushing her glasses back up her face.

“He only does it because he thinks it upsets me.” Percy said, resisting the urge to fiddle with his sleeves. His mother gave him a look that quite clearly told him she wasn’t done with this conversation, but that it could wait.

Percy just returned it with a thankful look.

“Cassie? I still need to give you my present.” Percy said, turning his attention back to his youngest sister. She just beamed and quickly jumped off her seat, walking by Percy’s side as he began to walk.

They were too old for Percy to hold Cassandra’s hand as they walked, or for Cassandra to hold her doll close to her chest. But only just.

Percy lead her down the hallways until they reached the right one, and Percy stopped.

“Alright, now Cassandra I want you to close your eyes.” Percy said.

“Why?”

“Because it’s not a present that I could easily wrap, and I still want it to be a surprise.” Percy said, crouching ever so slightly. She looked over his face, but ultimately decided that the prospect of finding out what her present was outweighed her brother’s odd request.

She closed her eyes, covering them with her hands as an added measure. Percy put one hand on her shoulder, carefully leading her down to stand in front of the right door.  

“Is it a good present?” Cassandra asked, strongly resisting the urge to peek as she heard Percy opening a door.

“I hope so. I spent a long time on it.” Percy admitted, gently ushering her inside.

“Did you make it?” Cassandra turned to where she thought Percy was, her excitement already evident in her posture.

“Yes I did.”

“Can I see it now?”

“I suppose so.”

Percy smiled as Cassandra pulled her hands away from her eyes and immediately clasped them over her mouth. She was focused on a beautiful and ornate dollhouse that Percy had lovingly crafted in secret.

“Do you want to see the inside of it?” Percy asked, watching his sister’s reaction. It was everything he could have hoped for and more.

“Yes!” Cassandra exclaimed, following Percy and kneeling in front of the dollhouse.

Carefully, Percy undid the latch.

Cassandra watched in awe as Percy revealed the interior. Small Arcana-charged crystals lit up each room, throwing soft colours over all the furniture inside.

Each room was bespoke. Different wallpaper, different carpets, small details to make it feel _real_. Small fireplaces in each room glowed softly and pulsed like a real fire. Tiny decorations made of white stone littered each room in different ways: the lampshade in one room, the corner table in another, on and on.

It wasn’t as if Percy never made things for the rest of his family and that he was treating Cassandra differently, Percy thought as he explained the little details in his work. It was just… His family thought of his tinkering as merely an eccentric hobby. Something that kept him preoccupied and out of trouble when he wasn’t in lessons or reading in the library.

Only a few people _encouraged_ Percy’s hobby, and Cassandra was one of the most vocal about it. She didn’t care to learn the intricacies of the art, or to practice it herself, but Cassandra always listened, wide-eyed as she let Percy talk about his projects. She would ask polite questions or generally nosy ones as Percy worked, and she always adored the finished product even if it was something ‘ _boring_ ’ like a pocket watch.

Percy sat back on his feet as he watched Cassandra grab an armful of dolls from a chest and began arranging them in various rooms. Some of them sat on the furniture, while some of them stood leaning on something.

“Percy, do you want to play with me?” Cassandra asked, turning to her brother with such enthusiasm on her face that it was infectious.

“Of course, Cassie.” Percy said, letting her dictate a story and occasionally chipping in with funny voices.

They played like they did when they were both a few years younger, with less pressure and responsibility hanging over Percy’s head and less social graces to learn. Less people’s hands to shake and more time to play.

….

….

….

Percy had almost forgotten…

Almost forgotten those precious memories…

He stood in front of the dollhouse, his hands shaking as he reached out to undo the clasp. His hands shook a lot. It rarely impeded him these days.

The dollhouse swung open and Percy couldn’t breathe. It was exactly as he remembered it; exactly how he created it.

The fireplaces glowed softly. The crystals still cast soft colours over the rooms. The dolls still stood amongst the furniture.

But the carpet was a bit more worn out. Some of the furniture had scratches and signs of wear and tear. The wallpaper in some of the rooms was a bit faded. The hinge it opened on was a little rusted.

“ _Percy?_ ”

That was Keyleth’s hand on his shoulder, slowly pulling him back into himself. That was Keyleth voice by his ear and her presence over his shoulder, examining the dollhouse with him.

“ _What’s wrong?_ ” That was Keyleth again, gently holding his arm. Keeping him steady. Keeping him grounded.

“I made it.”

“ _The dollhouse?_ ”

“Yes. For Cassandra, when she was nine. It was a birthday present.”

“ _It’s beautiful._ ”

“I can’t believe it survived. It’s been years…”

“You can have it, Percy.”

That...wasn’t Keyleth.

Percy looked up and saw Cassandra standing in the doorway, watching him. Watching his hand trail along the embellishments. Watching the lights inside it flicker and glow.

“Cassie, I can’t-”

“I haven’t played with it in years, and it obviously means a lot to you. Much more than it does to me, at this point in our lives.”

Cassandra looked at her brother’s face; at all the years there that he hadn’t experienced yet and all the horrors that he’d been forced through, swarming like ghosts behind his eyes.

“I can hardly take this with me while we’re fighting the Chroma Conclave, so I suppose it shall have to stay here in the castle.”

Percy felt relieved at the small quirk of Cassandra’s lips that eventually gave way to a smile.

“Joint custody?”

The suggestion was ridiculous for a dollhouse, but Percy was used to ridiculous.

“That sounds fair. And if we find anything nice, then we can add to it.”

“You have a better chance of finding nice things, brother.”

Cassandra looked at him with the smallest note of sorrow in her voice but a smile on her face.

“Then I shall have to find twice the amount to make it fair.”

“ _When we’re in the Feywild, we’ll probably find something nice._ ”

Keyleth spoke up, examining the dollhouse herself. Percy wondered in the Ashari _had_ anything like dollhouses. Was this the first time Keyleth had ever seen one?

“I’m sure I can barter for something new to put in it.”

The promise was easy to say, but Percy didn’t want to think about what could happen in the Feywild. What they could encounter on their way to the Vestige.

Cassandra just smiled and stepped closer to examine the dollhouse. Percy wondered if she was remembering that morning as well.  

“I’ll hold you to that promise, Percy.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm [queenmoggy](http://queenmoggy.tumblr.com/) on tumblr if you want to drop by sometime <3
> 
> Also, there were a few perc'ahlia moments in that episode that nearly killed me and I might just write them :/


End file.
